Assimilation of 5G Base Station Networks as Ultra‐Dense Atmospheric Sensors for Advancing Heavy Rainfall Prediction

Abstract

Abstract The zenith total delay (ZTD) retrieved from 5G communication base stations represents a novel observation source for numerical weather prediction (NWP), leveraging the extensive global deployment of 5G infrastructure. In this study, the direct assimilation of 5G‐ZTD observations into a high‐resolution NWP system was accomplished for the first time. Two precipitation events were selected to evaluate the impact of 5G‐ZTD assimilation on short‐term precipitation forecasting. Assimilating 5G‐ZTD data corrected the dry bias in the initial water vapor field and improved precipitation forecasts in both cases, demonstrating its practical utility for short‐term heavy rainfall forecasts and operational potential given its low cost and extensive coverage.